As a lifetime boiler maker, i would have previously welded ungodly amounts of meticulously prepared scrap steel together to do half the work a rivnut could perform. I discovered them myself around four years ago , and as I've used them more and more, I've come to question far too many of my previous life choices. Love your work, keep it it.
As a non welder I salute you. As a ex tradie I am amazed by the volume of stuff sealants gluing compounds and even concrete fixings have evolved so far. My question will be will they ever last as well. Aussie Jeff Moore
Impeccable timing John, I was in the middle of replacing the electrical panel in my- dare I say it- caravan as the previous setup (not done by me, and done quite recently judging by the equipment) did not meet the minimum standards. I had gotten hold of a complete setup from a written off van and made a new panel by hand (side note- anyone thinking about doing it don't, get a local engineering firm to laser cut it for you). I had everything roughed in using self tappers to mount the chargers and solar controller, but was unhappy with the sharp edges on the end of the screws. I knew of rivnuts but always thought that it was super expensive and so never looked into it. And so I now had an excuse to go to the most dangerous place on earth- my local tool shop, to buy another tool (because I was on a fairly tight deadline to get it done and couldn't wait for delivery), let's face it, my arm didn't need to be twisted very much at all, but twist you did. Now I have a professional looking job without the sharp edges. P.s. I ended up buying a lot more than just the bloody nut riveter, dangerous places those tool shops.
Your videos are always interesting. I want to add information to this video though. I am a metallurgist and was a consultant to many of the auto companies, now retired. Rivnuts are just amazing. I agree with aluminium to aluminium, Zn coated steel to steel. But placing stainless in contact with the typical steels found in cars is a real corrosion problem. The stainless will form a galvanic corrosion point with the “normal” steels. I have seen this many times and demonstrated to numerous OEMs using corrosion testing. It would be better to use the Zn coated steel ones with body panels. Only use stainless rivnuts into stainless.
I'm a seconder for concerns about galvanic corrosion with rivnuts. I have seen them used on aircraft and boats with disastrous consequences. Not saying that they can't be used but they have some problems. Helicopter pylons severely corroded, yacht masts blown out with corrosion. I would be VERY, VERY careful about rivnut use cases.
@@morrismurray3621 I'm sorry. Not trying to attack. I just think that they are an edge use case scenario. There are far better systems for aircraft and I am trying to highlight that. Good for lazy engineers. That's all.
@@CAIDMASTEROFPYRO You can get metal laser cut by third party services. Not everyone with access to laser cut metal is an expert. I didn’t know about hex ones. I like that idea.
I've used nutserts for years and think they are a great item, that is until the fastener seizes in the rivnut and you have to remove it. The rivnut will turn in the base metal and you'll have to cut the head off the fastener and drill it out while it is spinning around. If you don't have access to the back of the panel to be able to grab it you'll be cursing the day it was installed. This is common with learners who don't put enough force on them during installation. To minimise this I always lube the fastener with grease or anti seize.
Yep, they work great until you have to take them apart. They are usually used where there is no access to the back and you can safely start cursing the moment you feel it spin. Fun times!
I've had them slightly jam and spin before, i found a little super glue under the flange can usually hold them enough to remove the fastener, but that's assuming the attached panel is not completely covering access to the rivnut
Totally agree, grease is king, applied to all threads and bolts, a pot of grease an old toothbrush and your away, and a good blob of grease on any exposed thread, it makes disassembly a bit on the grubby side but it comes apart.
If I was told it was possible to talk about rivnuts for 30 continuous miniutes I would have said "impossible" ( spoken like a French waiter when you ask for a well done steak and ice for your wine) - but you did it mate. Good on ya.
I love watching UA-cam videos for DIY advice. I have been restoring a 2007 BMW X3 diesel and have had a couple of instances to use Rivnuts. My car spent 90% of its previous life in Cairns, North Queensland and the original owner had electric brakes installed. The auto electrician who did the work was not a tradesman but a butcher. When installing the heavy duty cables inside the car from under the dash area to the rear the cable he used was too short so he put in a solder join. Well at least he used solder! However he simply used a couple of turns of electrical tape in order to insulate his great work?????. I ended up cutting out the soldered join and used at least two layers of heavy duty heat shrink to redo his handy work. I then used split conduit. This is great stuff and with a series of cable ties gives you a professional and safe job. When I worked my way through the car I found the BUTCHER (I refuse to call these types tradies) broke one of the plastic rear seat mounts. Fortunately I found the broken bit nearby and was able to repair it with some epoxy. I believe my repaired work was even stronger than the original as I placed several lengths of a large cut up paper clip into the wet epoxy resulting in a considerable stronger joint. I learned this trick from a previous UA-cam video. I was finally to discover their (butcher) final piece of great handy work as I progressed further to the rear of the car and found that they had broken a small stud which they had obviously broken off by using excessive force with their power tool. This stud was originally held in place with two coarse threaded studs and plastic nuts. It wasn't a structural thing as it simply was a plastic bracket for the wheel brace. The butcher's repair job consisted of adding a small amount of epoxy to reattach the broken stud. After rolling around on the ground for several minutes in laughter, I repaired the great handy work with a couple of Rivnuts. And that is why, my friends, I carry out most of the repairs and maintenance to my vehicle myself!
You don't have to use the tool to use them. If you have a tight spot and can't use it, use a bolt nut and washer. Hold the bolt still and use the nut to extend the length down the bolt, that will draw the rivnut up. The washer helps let the nut spin against the rivnut. Ps I've only used this on aluminium rivnuts to date.
John, I have had my Rivnut kit for about 3-4 years now. My set is all metric and I wasn't aware there were imperial available until I watched your video. I purchased my Rivnet set on eBay. I am a DIY individual and have used the Rivnut system on my car on several occasions. You provided some good common sense advice in your video. One place I did use the Rivnut system however was to attach my number plate to my front plastic bumper bar. From memory I used 4 and 6mm Rivnuts and stainless security bolts to attach my number plate. My car did not have a separate bracket on the front and the number plate was simply attached with some PK screws into plastic. I did attempt to use the stainless into the plastic and it wasn't as successful as the aluminium ones. The issue with the stainless was that it requires a much harder crush force than the softer aluminium. I managed to instal them successfully. Remember if you stuff up the installation process then you can easily drill out the mistake and try again. Even with aluminium Rivnuts you get a much stronger attachment with them than simply using PK screws.
I just finished installing a DC-DC charger, MPPT, lithium battery setup in the rear 3rd row footwell of my Pajero. Using M5 rivnuts absolutely changed the game. Won't ever go back to nuts/bolts or tekscrews 👍
@@godfreypoon5148 M5 is OK. A lot of the Electronic gear for cars comes with 3/16" or M5 slots for installation. I used to drill them wider for M6 but now I occasionally use M5 instead.
As a long time user of Rivnuts I strongly recommend having a couple test goes at installing them. So that you can get the feel for how much energy is required to do the job properly without over tightening them.
Been using for years! My Au$29.95 set came in a cardboard box. Building greenhouses they have proved to be very reliable. We got super high wind last year and no frame collapsed. Apparently you can get them for countersunk holes which would be great if you need a flush mounting face.
Been using them since 1985, and they are great.!! In the United States, Standard size threads, and Metric sizes.!! AVIATION, and Trucking Industries, etc.! GREAT POST.!!! We used a Ratchet in tight spaces.! Works Perfectly fine.! Never had enough room for the big tree limb cutting tool size installer you have in your hands.!!!😮😅 If the World wasn't WOKE, you could do Stand Up Comedy.!!😂 I LOVE that you DON'T give two $HITS, about offending people's feelings.!!! ROCK ON MY FRIEND.!!!! FROM THE STATES, GOOD ON YA MATE.!!!!😉😉😉😉😉😉🤔🤔😁
You can get stainless steel rivnuts and also with a closed end to stop moisture getting in, for places where thread corrosion may be a problem. Best to put a smear of anti-seize on bolt thread as SS is renowned for galling and sticking the thread.
Cadogan, you're worse that my wife at creating guilt.. I had to stop the video halfway through to go and replace the self-tappers that held my number plate on the bumper with the rivnuts that I'd bought for just such a job.
Never let a UA-camr shame you into doing something stupid. For most light duty purposes like holding on a license plate, a rivnut is gross overkill and a waste of money. Rivnuts are great for medium duty applications. Self-tapping fasteners are great for light duty applications. And good old hex nuts are what you need for real loads. It is all about matching the tool to the job, not trying to make one solution fit every problem.
Step bits are great for sheet metal. A standard deburring tool costs about ten bucks and will deburr both sides of the job. I don't have anything in my toolbox that does the same job, and I use mine all the time. They come with bits for corner deburring, outside and inside hole deburring. There won't be a machinist on the planet that doesn't have this in their tool box. For mounting things to plastic also add heat-set nuts. All you need is a special bit for your soldering iron and you can embed brass nuts in anything plastic (except PEEK or Ultum of course). Predrill the hole 1mm (or 20%) smaller and embed the nut with heat. It's not going anywhere. Also cheap as chips and professional as hell. Great for adding access panels to car interiors, putting up a curtain rail in a camper van or mounting a lightweight bracket. I use 3mm fine (machine screws) for mounting covers and other things. The drongo equivalent of the tech screw in this case is double sided tape (or more tech screws I guess).
There’s one weakness of these which may be exposed in certain situations. Sometimes (oftentimes?) bolted joints get their strength from the high forces between two mated surfaces which creates very high pressure and as a result, very high friction. So a the shear load is held by the friction across a wide surface rather than the shear in the bolts. Rivnuts drastically reduce the mated surface area the friction acts upon, so the shear load is concentrated on the bolt and the small area around the bolt that is mated between parts. This could be mitigated with a mounting plate that’s slightly thicker than the rivnut thickness on the part side.
You can get flush rivnuts for places where the surface protrusion is a problem. You may need to dimple or countersink the material before installation depending on the material and thickness.
Thanks John, I discovered rivnuts a couple of years ago and have used them to fit out my work van. mainly because it looks neat and professional. I got some useful tips from this video, thanks.
The only problem with these, and much of the time, it’s not a problem, is that they stand a bit proud of the surface. So when the part needs to be absolutely flush to the surface, I made dies and punches that indent the metal around the hole so as to set the outer rim of the rivnut flush to the surface. An electric drill powers it. You do need to get to the rear of the sheet for access. That solves the occasional problem when it must be flush.
I bought a setup about 3 months ago - they are brilliant - use it on my car & boat all the time. The big 2 handled ones are the go - like in the video - the smaller ones that look like a pop-riveter are useless.
Rivnuts are convenient. But... In my experience as an engineer doing forensic engineering on design failures in the rail industry, I consider them the work of the devil himself... Maybe okay to hold a component onto a static sheet metal enclosure in a home workshop, but 1) in applications involving fluctuating loads, particularly if the load tends to wobble the component back and forth, like a row of rivnuts in a straight rhs, the small shoulder of the rivnut provides a fulcrum for the wobble, and they will tend to work loose. At that point the issue isn't the buggered rivnut, it is the wallowed out hole that goes with it. A replacement rivnut won't grip, and a bigger one will require a different size fastener, which mat not be feasible... 2) As John says, hole size is CRITICAL. There's no near enough here... they have to be perfect, and even then, grip of the rivnut in the hole is marginal at best, particularly 3) for engineered fasteners where there is a specified torque to be applied, this is (for any given size fastener) generally right at the limit of grip of the rivnut in the hole. If it spins while you are trying to torque the screw, it is game over. The rivnut must be replaced. Which leads to... 4) try to extract or remove a loose rivnut without chewing out the hole further... go on, try -- i dare you. And good luck with it. None of our tradies was able to do it reliably. I would use them, but only with non structural static situations where the screw doesn't need to be fully torqued (in which case if there's any vibration, you will need loctite to stop it unscrewing) and you must be VERY careful with the installation. They are a bit like concrete anchors... if they go in perfectly at the first attempt, they are great, but if there's any problem it becomes an instant disaster that is generally irrecoverable. Use at your own risk, and try very very hard to get the perfect installation at the first attempt because in the real world, there's no second chances. Oh and in light of the above, caveat emptor on cheap rivnuts, and for goodness sake don't use metric rivnuts in an imperial hole or vv. A 6mm rivnut in a 1/4" hole is not reliable. The above is based on actual service experience on an engineered design in a fleet of 375 assemblies x4 rivnuts per assembly, on which we had dozens and dozens (maybe in the end hundreds) of failures, every one of which was a nightmare to fix.
We installed these in the mid 70's on roof rack kits on station wagons. They were coated with red paste sealer and a flat rubber type washer for sealing. I don't come with a compound nut-insert install tool, just a grade 8 bolt, flat washer and a nut to compress the insert. They worked great but wish I had the tool. DK, ASE Master tech since 78. Thanks for letting others not familiar with this fastener.
After you have done a few, especially larger sizes, you will gravitate towards a pneumatic driver. One squeeze of the trigger and, bang, it is done. If using pneumatic on smaller sizes you need to reduce the pressure. And watch out for using the lever type clamps because some designs will allow the clamper to clamp unevenly on one side more than the other (especially on larger sizes). The vevor does look to be better designed than others and great that you get a good range of sizes.
I’ve been using these for a long time. With a little corrosion they are an absolute nightmare to get out when they spin. When installing a drop of super glue or epoxy on the outside works wonders, just don’t get it onnthe threads.
The Monroe question: What do fasteners do? Answer: They come undone (and not always when you want)! Having said that I’d like to defend the innocuous self-tapper; for light weight applications it can be just right. I’d also like to suggest that instead of drilling a hole, if possible, use a punch to make the hole. This does however take a little skill to get the Goldilocks penetration amount. With test strips pulled to destruction made with this technique I saw yield strengths 2 to 3 times higher than drilling. With the punch no material is removed, and an inward flange is created making for more contact area with the threads. A little paint into the hole beforehand wouldn’t go amiss in places where salt can be issue, skipping this can lead to a post-operation binding agent reaction (rust).
A few years ago I needed to attach a number plate to a new car and I couldn't access behind the bumper. So I bought a small rivnut set (not from Vevor). When I tried to use the pliers it was a one handed operation, unlike the two handled Vevor tool. And because I am not a 400 lb gorilla I could not close the plier handle to squish the spline. I returned the tool to the supplier (whose name starts with B) saying I was unable to work it. Now I have seen your demonstration I will get a Vevor set because the usefulness of inserting a "nut" from one side is obvious. Thanks JC Your advise on other topics was also useful.
One handed much like a blind rivet tool, right? I found using this to not fully thread into the rivnut so that the handle is mostly closed before engaging, squeeze and screw a turn or two and repeat. It's a few more steps but it's easier than trying to do it in one shot
I bought a Vevor spring compressor recently to replace the strut tops in my Commodore. Having previously used the standard type spring compressors from Supercheap and Autobarn I was amazed how quick, easy and safe the VEVOR Strut Spring Compressor Set is. It is an amazingly high quality unit and takes literally seconds to compress or release a spring. Just bought the Rivnut set now.
Discovered them years ago when I was in the RAAF along with other fasteners including rivets which I have used extensively in my 'projects' over the years. Thanks for the reminder of just how good these things are.
They sure are great, if only car dealers would use them on number plates. It's disappointing picking up a new car with number plates attached with self drilling screws.
Agree! In my situation I used Aluminium into my plastic bumper bar. Stainless even though they would have been better were too difficult to insert into relatively thin plastic and ended up using aluminium ones with stainless security screws in order to prevent theft. I found the advice by the metallurgist above interesting. If corrosion is an issue make sure you use a small dob of acrylic lacquer (matching paint) to the drilled holes prior to installing the Rivnut. A cotton bud makes an excellent applicator. The other option is to dip the Rivnut into a small amount of grease prior to installation but paint is a much better option.
Every car I’ve had in the last 20 years has had the license plate held on with screws that self-tap into nylon inserts. They work great and don’t rust. A rivnut is not a superior solution for this application. The load a license plate imposes is trivial and absolutely no need for an expensive rivnut.
@@LTVoyager - My 2007 BMW X3 3.0d only had stainless PK screws into a relatively thin black plastic bumper on the front. There were no nylon inserts on the front however they were present on the rear. The Rivnuts are not expensive. In fact I purchased my kit on eBay about 4 years ago and it came with 300-400 Rivnuts (metric only) up to 12mm. There were stainless (only up to 8mm), aluminium and zinc plated up to 12mm. The whole kit including the Rivnuts was only about $115 delivered. Its reasonable quality and does the job although I am considering purchasing a pneumatic one as I already have the compressor and a number of air tools. The Rivnuts also have the advantage of accepting security fasteners which limits the theft on number plates. In fact I removed the nylon inserts from my rear number plate. They were square holes which accepted the aluminium Rivnuts. I installed an Android system in my car and a reverse camera which necessitated the lowering of my number plate only about 1cm or so in order to accommodate the camera.
You forgot to mention how handy some short lengths of threaded rod (or bolt off cuts, etc), with the appropriate thread, with one end sharpened into a point, can be used as centre punches when threaded into your nutserts once they are mounted in situ. Best way to get things lined up if you need to drill mounting holes into the thingy you want to mount. I keep 4 each of 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm in my el-cheapo rivnut kit.
Worth noting that while step drills are great for sheet metal they often go up in 2mm increments (8mm or 10mm for the 9mm hole you needed). There are a small range that increase by 1mm per step, but these are limited in terms of size, or the depth behind the panel doesnt have enough depth to get to the required size. I have cut down a few step drills to solve this too.
A couple of points: It is nice to also have the tool where the handle goes off at a right angle. This can let you do inserts in crowded locations. The coating on the aluminum ones means they don't work well for doing a grounding lug. They make many types including ones that work for plastic parts. There are special ones for high torque cases.
We definitely agree on traditional calipers! Digital are prone to making mistakes at least as often as a human being, if not more often. Threadcerts, I've used in wood for years, for metal if I can't tap threads in it, I'll affix a nut to the back side, color me old school.
You have done a fantastic marketing job John. After watching your demonstration I decided I was going to upgrade to this kit and ditch the very cheap unit I currently have. As of 5 minutes ago (PST USA) they are out of stock. Thanks for another great vid.
I'm not a DIY dude but the way you explained it even I would be able to use those Rivnuts and Nutserts. Your right about the quality John, they are well crafted and I bet they won't ever rust. Cheers John 😊
I'm nuts for Riv-nuts! After drilling, 2 stage primer and paint, this is the fastest part of a clean install. A must for the professional tired of j-clips rattling and scratching the material. I have a different brand tool in this case, but I have another Vevor tool and it's made really well. I modified mine by putting a straight bar with a nut on instead of the knob, that way I can crank it it by hand or with an electric ratchet so it takes only a few seconds per Riv-nut.
I have been using rivnuts for twenty plus years. You can if needed use a set screw and nut to insert them in confined spaces. They are also available in counter sunk version so that there is no stand off.
I use a lot of GPR Cabinets which have 5mm thick internal device plates. I use rivnuts to give me mounting points on the device plate. Also used them on Fibreglass panels.
Good story John - these are enormously useful in sheet metal assemblies, especially when disassembly is a potential requirement. Kincrome has a drill attachment which makes the installation process a bit faster, but I'd only use it for smaller thread rivnuts, say below M5. The Vevor tool looks like it'll last a long time, with care, but might be restrictive if space is limited around the installation.
Very interesting. I agree with your comment about Verniers.I@76 transitioned to electronic LCD verniers.After finding two flat batteries (mainly happens on the cheap Chinese units) i went back to the manual version's...
Love the DIY segment. Even though I have used rivnuts a couple of times I found this informative and would love to see more DIY videos from the ghetto.
easy reason I could see needing a rivnut for 1/2" material (aluminum specifically)... it already was threaded, but you buggered the threads completely out of the hole, and you need the exact same thread size and pitch back again. just drill it out, install the rivnut, and there's no complications in the future with one random fastener being an oddball size compared to the rest. heck with material that thick, you could even counter bore the surface enough to let the rivnut sit flush with the material, making the repair even more transparent.
At 1/2 thick material i would think you are better at threaded inserts like helicoil than rivnuts. I believe rivnuts are only really for sheet material where its thickness alone is not conducive to adequate thread production
John, little known fact about ‘Merica. We are allowed to make our own firearms for personal use. AK 47 platform weapons are exclusively made with rivets.Instead of using a rivet press, I wonder if I could use these in place of standard rivets. Trial and error is in my future I suppose 😂.
11:08 The other advantage of step drills is the roundness of the hole. Normal twist drills can cut a more triangular shaped hole in thin material. 20:00 Don't forget blind rivnuts sealed at one end.
Wow what a nice piece of kit. I've done very little tool work in the last couple of years so these are new to me. I've never seen them before. I'm certainly keeping them in mind for potential future purchase and use. Thanks for making this excellent video John.
I always lube the bolt very well to make it easier to remove in future. A threaded rod and nut is an option instead of a bolt depending upon the application. I'd also consider adding Epoxy to help the insert stay in place - it can't do any harm but might just help a little. I've done this on bikes and never had an issue when combined with lubed bolts etc. It also helps with corrosion and makes the job look a bit neater if you're working with circular tubes e.g. for mounting eBike batteries or bottle cages. Some useful tips re tool suppliers e.g. Vevor
Like many people here, I've gone "nuts" for rivet nuts since finding out about them a few years ago. For anyone using them frequently i can highly recommended purchasing a Rivet Nut Drill Adaptor tool. Kango do a high quality one. Not cheap but makes your "nutting" so much faster and easier 😜
The new light truck at work used rivet inserts that looked like Allan keyed, to hold the rear step on. They started loosening up and falling out. Drilled the rest n installed bolts with locktite.
Rivnuts have been around for decades and one of my own tools is a copy of the one used by Land Rover back in 1980's. The important thing to remember is that they have their limitations and should not be used where structural strength is paramount. Therefore, the obvious range for Rivnuts use in automotive applications is M3 to M8 and occasionally, where absolutely necessary M10. I have never used M12 Rivnuts and I can't see a use for them because if you need a 12mm/0.5inch bolt to secure anything it must be structural and therefore requires something much more robust. I would hope that you wouldn't use a Rivnut in 7/16"UNF to secure a seat belt mount!!!! M3 Rivnuts are very useful for securing panels, where disassembly is required but self tapping screws are too aggressive. Rivnuts are also made for GRP, which is very useful for competition car/kit car etc fabrication.
Thank you for the "rivnut tutorial". I agree there are a lot of advantages to using them Also consider reviewing brass-threaded "Well Nuts" which are a close cousin of the rivnit. I first encountered Well Nuts on Motorcycle and Snowmobile. Well Nuts offer shock-isolation, waterproof-seal, NO TOOL install, as well as dealing with assembly-misalignment.
Worked all day yesterday and most of the night. And 7 hours this morning, ahhh the tow life. I'm going to use this to fall asleep to. Fyi, have a nutsert in my 80 series.
Fab video, just what I needed , great info, I'm using these for the first time & now am confident I can do it without swearing , smashing crap up or bleeding ...haha thanks mate, a big hello from cold damp great Britain
I have been using these for nearly 10 years in my home getto workshop, back in the day I stumbled across an second hand Eclipse one like a pop river gun only went to 8mm.
Rivnuts, over my side of the hill, where I pray to my god. I'd never heard about these until I took a job where these were used occasionally. They are a particularly handy fastening system when it comes to fastening certain things to sheet metal. It's almost impossible to make a dog's breakfast of installing them. Unlike self tappers and Tek screws, they want to go in square and true. And you can't pull these things out with a team of draught horses, either. And they are far easier to use with spacers mixed into the equation. I wish that I'd known about them sooner.
There is a type that can be used with your manual or air driven rivet guns. They are only in the 3-4mm thread range, and are fine for low stress areas. They do display the "crumpled head" on the other side, and it's not pretty. Only a few mm of thread available. Generally, bolts need thread right up to the hex head.
One thing which really should be kept in mind is to get bigger rivnut pliers than you think you might need, the ones which look like pop-rivet pliers (one-hand operation) require the grip-strength of Heracles to squeeze anything bigger than a 5mm rivnut.
The bottle cage holes on my cross country bike are M5 nutserts and rotate. I should pull them up a bit. Plus, my Mitutoyo digital calipers are 34 years old. Good investment. Starrett cutters are your friend for big holes.
If you’ve got composite structures carbon or fibreglass then bighead fasteners are a great option as they can be bonded in place and provide a large flange to reinforce these materials
On my understanding Rivetnuts and Nutserts are two completely different products for different applications. I am involved in the automotive, security, fabrication, electrical, electronics and communications industries, as well as being an avid diy enthusiast. Riv-Nuts (A rivetnut brand.) are as described extremely well in the video, along with the engineering caveats. However, Nutserts are round metal threaded nuts with a "toothed" external circumference usually designed to be inserted into a blind hole in thicker materials by a pressing force, or a pressing force combined with heat in the case of thermoplastic materials. They are used extensively for small diameter screw threads in plastics - toys, laptop computers, automotive and other accessory items. Larger theaded Nutserts, often used in furniture assembly, may have a flange on one end to resist "pull-through" or "nut spinning". Love the commonsense engineering that goes along with your videos!
Just some advice if use the drill type rivnut inverters, like the Kango, it’s an excellent tool, but never use the drilling chuck setting, always use the screwing setting and set the torque low. Easy enough to increase the torque if necessary, I mostly use the Al rivnuts on Al boat stuff, it’s easy to overtorque the nut and distort or tear the substrate. I would have been better off with a manual tool like the Vevor..
John, here in 'Murica we tend to reduce our fractions. You'll never be able to buy an 8/32 nut, screw, bolt, wrench, etc.. We'll go shopping for 1/4 inch, natch.
Ironically, the first time I learned about rivnuts was last year. My Mother-In-Law broke a seized bolt when replacing her rear license plate on her 2010's Honda Odyssey. The rivnut held.
Love a rivnut/nutcert! The only issue is the tool, they're usually quite bulky and hard to fit in tight spaces. Bought a tool years ago from MEMFast- rather than being like an adapted rivet gun, it has a twisty knob end!
@@drivingparadox. Yeah I used a pneumatic rivnut tool at work for a few years. The big trap with these, unfortunately, is if you stuff it up it can take quite a while to remove the tool from the rivnut! Especially dangerous to the tool & the work with smaller bolt sizes. The tool is quite heavy & you need to keep the rivnut tool 'bolt' perpendicular to the work surface or you'll bend or snap it! Far canal it can be infuriating! Although it may have been our particular tool which had a graduated 'trigger', to activate auto-reversal, to automatically reverse the 'bolt' out of the work. We always used stainless steel rivnuts too, & ALWAYS used that silver-coloured antiseize paste on the bolt. Stainless can kinda 'weld' itself together if you're not careful, or use no lube. The worst part was trying to teach others how to use this auto, pneumatic tool! THAT was a nightmare! They just didn't get it! It took ages for them to latch on to what I was telling them! I almost gave up!
Oh great! I was worried for a second that these wouldn't be suitable for my newly purchased plain white death machine van where I perform all of my 'handywork'. Thanks for settong me straight on that one John. Ive jist tocked your name off my list. You lucky scoundrel.
These nuts are popular amongst the self build cross-kart and to extent go-kart community for fitting panels to exterior body work, non critical load bearing component mounting points, where welding is not an option of not preferable.
As a lifetime boiler maker, i would have previously welded ungodly amounts of meticulously prepared scrap steel together to do half the work a rivnut could perform. I discovered them myself around four years ago , and as I've used them more and more, I've come to question far too many of my previous life choices. Love your work, keep it it.
I take my hat off to you my welding keep those nuts in business
Hum so can you use a rubber washer or an O ring for a water tight seal ?
As a non welder I salute you. As a ex tradie I am amazed by the volume of stuff sealants gluing compounds and even concrete fixings have evolved so far. My question will be will they ever last as well. Aussie Jeff Moore
Impeccable timing John, I was in the middle of replacing the electrical panel in my- dare I say it- caravan as the previous setup (not done by me, and done quite recently judging by the equipment) did not meet the minimum standards. I had gotten hold of a complete setup from a written off van and made a new panel by hand (side note- anyone thinking about doing it don't, get a local engineering firm to laser cut it for you). I had everything roughed in using self tappers to mount the chargers and solar controller, but was unhappy with the sharp edges on the end of the screws.
I knew of rivnuts but always thought that it was super expensive and so never looked into it.
And so I now had an excuse to go to the most dangerous place on earth- my local tool shop, to buy another tool (because I was on a fairly tight deadline to get it done and couldn't wait for delivery), let's face it, my arm didn't need to be twisted very much at all, but twist you did.
Now I have a professional looking job without the sharp edges.
P.s. I ended up buying a lot more than just the bloody nut riveter, dangerous places those tool shops.
Your videos are always interesting. I want to add information to this video though. I am a metallurgist and was a consultant to many of the auto companies, now retired. Rivnuts are just amazing. I agree with aluminium to aluminium, Zn coated steel to steel. But placing stainless in contact with the typical steels found in cars is a real corrosion problem. The stainless will form a galvanic corrosion point with the “normal” steels. I have seen this many times and demonstrated to numerous OEMs using corrosion testing. It would be better to use the Zn coated steel ones with body panels. Only use stainless rivnuts into stainless.
Excellent advice. Thank you very much for taking the time. I did not know that.
@@AutoExpertJCI wonder how many contact points in the Tesla Urinal will suffer this corrosion?
I'm a seconder for concerns about galvanic corrosion with rivnuts. I have seen them used on aircraft and boats with disastrous consequences.
Not saying that they can't be used but they have some problems.
Helicopter pylons severely corroded, yacht masts blown out with corrosion. I would be VERY, VERY careful about rivnut use cases.
@@kepamurray1845 should say that Kepa Murray and I are not related or having a concerted attack, just happen to have the same surname
@@morrismurray3621 I'm sorry. Not trying to attack. I just think that they are an edge use case scenario. There are far better systems for aircraft and I am trying to highlight that.
Good for lazy engineers. That's all.
If you're laser cutting sheet metal. Use hexagonal nutserts and hexagonal holes.
I feel like if you have a laser cutter you probably know this
@@CAIDMASTEROFPYRO You can get metal laser cut by third party services. Not everyone with access to laser cut metal is an expert.
I didn’t know about hex ones. I like that idea.
@@gf2e That is a good point.
I've used nutserts for years and think they are a great item, that is until the fastener seizes in the rivnut and you have to remove it. The rivnut will turn in the base metal and you'll have to cut the head off the fastener and drill it out while it is spinning around. If you don't have access to the back of the panel to be able to grab it you'll be cursing the day it was installed. This is common with learners who don't put enough force on them during installation. To minimise this I always lube the fastener with grease or anti seize.
Yep, they work great until you have to take them apart. They are usually used where there is no access to the back and you can safely start cursing the moment you feel it spin. Fun times!
Could you tack weld them to stop them spinning?
@@gf2e if you're going to do that you might as well weld a nut in.
I've had them slightly jam and spin before, i found a little super glue under the flange can usually hold them enough to remove the fastener, but that's assuming the attached panel is not completely covering access to the rivnut
Totally agree, grease is king, applied to all threads and bolts, a pot of grease an old toothbrush and your away, and a good blob of grease on any exposed thread, it makes disassembly a bit on the grubby side but it comes apart.
If I was told it was possible to talk about rivnuts for 30 continuous miniutes I would have said "impossible" ( spoken like a French waiter when you ask for a well done steak and ice for your wine) - but you did it mate. Good on ya.
I love watching UA-cam videos for DIY advice. I have been restoring a 2007 BMW X3 diesel and have had a couple of instances to use Rivnuts. My car spent 90% of its previous life in Cairns, North Queensland and the original owner had electric brakes installed. The auto electrician who did the work was not a tradesman but a butcher. When installing the heavy duty cables inside the car from under the dash area to the rear the cable he used was too short so he put in a solder join. Well at least he used solder! However he simply used a couple of turns of electrical tape in order to insulate his great work?????. I ended up cutting out the soldered join and used at least two layers of heavy duty heat shrink to redo his handy work. I then used split conduit. This is great stuff and with a series of cable ties gives you a professional and safe job. When I worked my way through the car I found the BUTCHER (I refuse to call these types tradies) broke one of the plastic rear seat mounts. Fortunately I found the broken bit nearby and was able to repair it with some epoxy. I believe my repaired work was even stronger than the original as I placed several lengths of a large cut up paper clip into the wet epoxy resulting in a considerable stronger joint. I learned this trick from a previous UA-cam video. I was finally to discover their (butcher) final piece of great handy work as I progressed further to the rear of the car and found that they had broken a small stud which they had obviously broken off by using excessive force with their power tool. This stud was originally held in place with two coarse threaded studs and plastic nuts. It wasn't a structural thing as it simply was a plastic bracket for the wheel brace. The butcher's repair job consisted of adding a small amount of epoxy to reattach the broken stud. After rolling around on the ground for several minutes in laughter, I repaired the great handy work with a couple of Rivnuts.
And that is why, my friends, I carry out most of the repairs and maintenance to my vehicle myself!
You don't have to use the tool to use them. If you have a tight spot and can't use it, use a bolt nut and washer. Hold the bolt still and use the nut to extend the length down the bolt, that will draw the rivnut up. The washer helps let the nut spin against the rivnut. Ps I've only used this on aluminium rivnuts to date.
If you are installing many the tool is way quicker. And the steel nuts are way harder to pull than aluminium.
You can actually buy the bolt type nut setter with a nice bearing washer makes that job way easier
John, I have had my Rivnut kit for about 3-4 years now. My set is all metric and I wasn't aware there were imperial available until I watched your video. I purchased my Rivnet set on eBay. I am a DIY individual and have used the Rivnut system on my car on several occasions. You provided some good common sense advice in your video. One place I did use the Rivnut system however was to attach my number plate to my front plastic bumper bar. From memory I used 4 and 6mm Rivnuts and stainless security bolts to attach my number plate. My car did not have a separate bracket on the front and the number plate was simply attached with some PK screws into plastic. I did attempt to use the stainless into the plastic and it wasn't as successful as the aluminium ones. The issue with the stainless was that it requires a much harder crush force than the softer aluminium. I managed to instal them successfully. Remember if you stuff up the installation process then you can easily drill out the mistake and try again. Even with aluminium Rivnuts you get a much stronger attachment with them than simply using PK screws.
I just finished installing a DC-DC charger, MPPT, lithium battery setup in the rear 3rd row footwell of my Pajero. Using M5 rivnuts absolutely changed the game. Won't ever go back to nuts/bolts or tekscrews 👍
M5? Dude, seriously?
Nobody uses M5. It goes M3, M4, M6, M8...
I can't believe you used M5.
@@godfreypoon5148 M5 is OK. A lot of the Electronic gear for cars comes with 3/16" or M5 slots for installation. I used to drill them wider for M6 but now I occasionally use M5 instead.
@@philg2468 I'm just taking the piss really. I have used plenty of M5.
As a long time user of Rivnuts I strongly recommend having a couple test goes at installing them. So that you can get the feel for how much energy is required to do the job properly without over tightening them.
Been using for years! My Au$29.95 set came in a cardboard box. Building greenhouses they have proved to be very reliable. We got super high wind last year and no frame collapsed. Apparently you can get them for countersunk holes which would be great if you need a flush mounting face.
Been using them since 1985, and they are great.!! In the United States, Standard size threads, and Metric sizes.!! AVIATION, and Trucking Industries, etc.! GREAT POST.!!! We used a Ratchet in tight spaces.! Works Perfectly fine.! Never had enough room for the big tree limb cutting tool size installer you have in your hands.!!!😮😅 If the World wasn't WOKE, you could do Stand Up Comedy.!!😂 I LOVE that you DON'T give two $HITS, about offending people's feelings.!!! ROCK ON MY FRIEND.!!!! FROM THE STATES, GOOD ON YA MATE.!!!!😉😉😉😉😉😉🤔🤔😁
Same in Aus, for bedframes connected into the roundpipe on the head and footboard.
Wow, you need to lay off the caffeine.
You can get stainless steel rivnuts and also with a closed end to stop moisture getting in, for places where thread corrosion may be a problem. Best to put a smear of anti-seize on bolt thread as SS is renowned for galling and sticking the thread.
Cadogan, you're worse that my wife at creating guilt.. I had to stop the video halfway through to go and replace the self-tappers that held my number plate on the bumper with the rivnuts that I'd bought for just such a job.
lol
bahahahahaha
Never let a UA-camr shame you into doing something stupid. For most light duty purposes like holding on a license plate, a rivnut is gross overkill and a waste of money. Rivnuts are great for medium duty applications. Self-tapping fasteners are great for light duty applications. And good old hex nuts are what you need for real loads. It is all about matching the tool to the job, not trying to make one solution fit every problem.
Double sided tape is better if it is at all possible as an option.
@@rimmersbryggeri 😂, Um, no.
Step bits are great for sheet metal. A standard deburring tool costs about ten bucks and will deburr both sides of the job. I don't have anything in my toolbox that does the same job, and I use mine all the time. They come with bits for corner deburring, outside and inside hole deburring. There won't be a machinist on the planet that doesn't have this in their tool box.
For mounting things to plastic also add heat-set nuts. All you need is a special bit for your soldering iron and you can embed brass nuts in anything plastic (except PEEK or Ultum of course). Predrill the hole 1mm (or 20%) smaller and embed the nut with heat. It's not going anywhere. Also cheap as chips and professional as hell. Great for adding access panels to car interiors, putting up a curtain rail in a camper van or mounting a lightweight bracket. I use 3mm fine (machine screws) for mounting covers and other things. The drongo equivalent of the tech screw in this case is double sided tape (or more tech screws I guess).
There’s one weakness of these which may be exposed in certain situations. Sometimes (oftentimes?) bolted joints get their strength from the high forces between two mated surfaces which creates very high pressure and as a result, very high friction. So a the shear load is held by the friction across a wide surface rather than the shear in the bolts.
Rivnuts drastically reduce the mated surface area the friction acts upon, so the shear load is concentrated on the bolt and the small area around the bolt that is mated between parts. This could be mitigated with a mounting plate that’s slightly thicker than the rivnut thickness on the part side.
A washer behind the Rivnut (on the inside) gives you a much greater strength.
I've said it before, John, and I'll say it again. Thank you for your Fat Cave content, de-mystifying mysteries for the DIY people.
Plus 1 for Bolt & Nut Australia. Great, easy to use search function, many products and fantastic customer service. (and generally free delivery!)
You can get flush rivnuts for places where the surface protrusion is a problem. You may need to dimple or countersink the material before installation depending on the material and thickness.
Thanks John, I discovered rivnuts a couple of years ago and have used them to fit out my work van. mainly because it looks neat and professional. I got some useful tips from this video, thanks.
Rivnuts are awesome.
I also thought your neighbour with the leaf blower might be receiving a rivnut brow piercing with the look you gave at 6:25 :D
The only problem with these, and much of the time, it’s not a problem, is that they stand a bit proud of the surface. So when the part needs to be absolutely flush to the surface, I made dies and punches that indent the metal around the hole so as to set the outer rim of the rivnut flush to the surface. An electric drill powers it. You do need to get to the rear of the sheet for access. That solves the occasional problem when it must be flush.
I bought a setup about 3 months ago - they are brilliant - use it on my car & boat all the time. The big 2 handled ones are the go - like in the video - the smaller ones that look like a pop-riveter are useless.
Been using rivnuts for decades, they're awesome. Most recently - put 4 into the side of my roller cabinet, and mounted a laptop holder!
Rivnuts are convenient. But...
In my experience as an engineer doing forensic engineering on design failures in the rail industry, I consider them the work of the devil himself... Maybe okay to hold a component onto a static sheet metal enclosure in a home workshop, but
1) in applications involving fluctuating loads, particularly if the load tends to wobble the component back and forth, like a row of rivnuts in a straight rhs, the small shoulder of the rivnut provides a fulcrum for the wobble, and they will tend to work loose. At that point the issue isn't the buggered rivnut, it is the wallowed out hole that goes with it. A replacement rivnut won't grip, and a bigger one will require a different size fastener, which mat not be feasible...
2) As John says, hole size is CRITICAL. There's no near enough here... they have to be perfect, and even then, grip of the rivnut in the hole is marginal at best, particularly
3) for engineered fasteners where there is a specified torque to be applied, this is (for any given size fastener) generally right at the limit of grip of the rivnut in the hole. If it spins while you are trying to torque the screw, it is game over. The rivnut must be replaced. Which leads to...
4) try to extract or remove a loose rivnut without chewing out the hole further... go on, try -- i dare you. And good luck with it. None of our tradies was able to do it reliably.
I would use them, but only with non structural static situations where the screw doesn't need to be fully torqued (in which case if there's any vibration, you will need loctite to stop it unscrewing) and you must be VERY careful with the installation. They are a bit like concrete anchors... if they go in perfectly at the first attempt, they are great, but if there's any problem it becomes an instant disaster that is generally irrecoverable.
Use at your own risk, and try very very hard to get the perfect installation at the first attempt because in the real world, there's no second chances.
Oh and in light of the above, caveat emptor on cheap rivnuts, and for goodness sake don't use metric rivnuts in an imperial hole or vv. A 6mm rivnut in a 1/4" hole is not reliable.
The above is based on actual service experience on an engineered design in a fleet of 375 assemblies x4 rivnuts per assembly, on which we had dozens and dozens (maybe in the end hundreds) of failures, every one of which was a nightmare to fix.
We installed these in the mid 70's on roof rack kits on station wagons. They were coated with red paste sealer and a flat rubber type washer for sealing. I don't come with a compound nut-insert install tool, just a grade 8 bolt, flat washer and a nut to compress the insert. They worked great but wish I had the tool. DK, ASE Master tech since 78. Thanks for letting others not familiar with this fastener.
After you have done a few, especially larger sizes, you will gravitate towards a pneumatic driver. One squeeze of the trigger and, bang, it is done. If using pneumatic on smaller sizes you need to reduce the pressure. And watch out for using the lever type clamps because some designs will allow the clamper to clamp unevenly on one side more than the other (especially on larger sizes). The vevor does look to be better designed than others and great that you get a good range of sizes.
I’ve been using these for a long time. With a little corrosion they are an absolute nightmare to get out when they spin. When installing a drop of super glue or epoxy on the outside works wonders, just don’t get it onnthe threads.
The Monroe question: What do fasteners do? Answer: They come undone (and not always when you want)!
Having said that I’d like to defend the innocuous self-tapper; for light weight applications it can be just right. I’d also like to suggest that instead of drilling a hole, if possible, use a punch to make the hole. This does however take a little skill to get the Goldilocks penetration amount. With test strips pulled to destruction made with this technique I saw yield strengths 2 to 3 times higher than drilling. With the punch no material is removed, and an inward flange is created making for more contact area with the threads. A little paint into the hole beforehand wouldn’t go amiss in places where salt can be issue, skipping this can lead to a post-operation binding agent reaction (rust).
Please John - more workshop vids... that was just so useful. Cheers
A few years ago I needed to attach a number plate to a new car and I couldn't access behind the bumper. So I bought a small rivnut set (not from Vevor). When I tried to use the pliers it was a one handed operation, unlike the two handled Vevor tool. And because I am not a 400 lb gorilla I could not close the plier handle to squish the spline. I returned the tool to the supplier (whose name starts with B) saying I was unable to work it. Now I have seen your demonstration I will get a Vevor set because the usefulness of inserting a "nut" from one side is obvious. Thanks JC
Your advise on other topics was also useful.
One handed much like a blind rivet tool, right? I found using this to not fully thread into the rivnut so that the handle is mostly closed before engaging, squeeze and screw a turn or two and repeat. It's a few more steps but it's easier than trying to do it in one shot
Thank you for bringing this topic up. I completely forgot about these fasteners. I'll have to keep them in mind going forward.
I bought a Vevor spring compressor recently to replace the strut tops in my Commodore.
Having previously used the standard type spring compressors from Supercheap and Autobarn I was amazed how quick, easy and safe the VEVOR Strut Spring Compressor Set is.
It is an amazingly high quality unit and takes literally seconds to compress or release a spring.
Just bought the Rivnut set now.
I started using nutserts 20 years ago as an apprentice. They are great as long as they are installed correctly.
Discovered them years ago when I was in the RAAF along with other fasteners including rivets which I have used extensively in my 'projects' over the years. Thanks for the reminder of just how good these things are.
They sure are great, if only car dealers would use them on number plates. It's disappointing picking up a new car with number plates attached with self drilling screws.
Agree! In my situation I used Aluminium into my plastic bumper bar. Stainless even though they would have been better were too difficult to insert into relatively thin plastic and ended up using aluminium ones with stainless security screws in order to prevent theft. I found the advice by the metallurgist above interesting. If corrosion is an issue make sure you use a small dob of acrylic lacquer (matching paint) to the drilled holes prior to installing the Rivnut. A cotton bud makes an excellent applicator. The other option is to dip the Rivnut into a small amount of grease prior to installation but paint is a much better option.
Every car I’ve had in the last 20 years has had the license plate held on with screws that self-tap into nylon inserts. They work great and don’t rust. A rivnut is not a superior solution for this application. The load a license plate imposes is trivial and absolutely no need for an expensive rivnut.
@@LTVoyager - My 2007 BMW X3 3.0d only had stainless PK screws into a relatively thin black plastic bumper on the front. There were no nylon inserts on the front however they were present on the rear. The Rivnuts are not expensive. In fact I purchased my kit on eBay about 4 years ago and it came with 300-400 Rivnuts (metric only) up to 12mm. There were stainless (only up to 8mm), aluminium and zinc plated up to 12mm. The whole kit including the Rivnuts was only about $115 delivered. Its reasonable quality and does the job although I am considering purchasing a pneumatic one as I already have the compressor and a number of air tools. The Rivnuts also have the advantage of accepting security fasteners which limits the theft on number plates. In fact I removed the nylon inserts from my rear number plate. They were square holes which accepted the aluminium Rivnuts. I installed an Android system in my car and a reverse camera which necessitated the lowering of my number plate only about 1cm or so in order to accommodate the camera.
I think you'll find between unnecasary cost and the variation of numberplates makes it difficult.
You forgot to mention how handy some short lengths of threaded rod (or bolt off cuts, etc), with the appropriate thread, with one end sharpened into a point, can be used as centre punches when threaded into your nutserts once they are mounted in situ. Best way to get things lined up if you need to drill mounting holes into the thingy you want to mount. I keep 4 each of 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm in my el-cheapo rivnut kit.
That's a bloody good idea mate! I love it, cheers!
I've used these for years and I can tell you folks, these can truly, save your job.
You do need a kit like this in your workshop.
On the subject of drill bits don't forget Sutton still make drill bits locally and can be purchased at the big green shed and other places.
I just started using them, made some brackets for the roof rack for easy install and removal. Love them!
Worth noting that while step drills are great for sheet metal they often go up in 2mm increments (8mm or 10mm for the 9mm hole you needed). There are a small range that increase by 1mm per step, but these are limited in terms of size, or the depth behind the panel doesnt have enough depth to get to the required size. I have cut down a few step drills to solve this too.
These things are a life saver
Used them on an impossibly small spaced recessed armrest in an old car
A couple of points:
It is nice to also have the tool where the handle goes off at a right angle. This can let you do inserts in crowded locations.
The coating on the aluminum ones means they don't work well for doing a grounding lug.
They make many types including ones that work for plastic parts.
There are special ones for high torque cases.
We definitely agree on traditional calipers! Digital are prone to making mistakes at least as often as a human being, if not more often. Threadcerts, I've used in wood for years, for metal if I can't tap threads in it, I'll affix a nut to the back side, color me old school.
You have done a fantastic marketing job John. After watching your demonstration I decided I was going to upgrade to this kit and ditch the very cheap unit I currently have. As of 5 minutes ago (PST USA) they are out of stock. Thanks for another great vid.
Found these from my shop foreman years ago, was able to use the instller tool later on when someone used wood screws on a infiniti license plate.
I'm not a DIY dude but the way you explained it even I would be able to use those Rivnuts and Nutserts. Your right about the quality John, they are well crafted and I bet they won't ever rust. Cheers John 😊
I'm nuts for Riv-nuts! After drilling, 2 stage primer and paint, this is the fastest part of a clean install. A must for the professional tired of j-clips rattling and scratching the material. I have a different brand tool in this case, but I have another Vevor tool and it's made really well. I modified mine by putting a straight bar with a nut on instead of the knob, that way I can crank it it by hand or with an electric ratchet so it takes only a few seconds per Riv-nut.
Been using for years great investment but mine is old and that set is so nice with a case etc. I’m so tempted to buy one. 👍
I have been using rivnuts for twenty plus years. You can if needed use a set screw and nut to insert them in confined spaces. They are also available in counter sunk version so that there is no stand off.
I use a lot of GPR Cabinets which have 5mm thick internal device plates. I use rivnuts to give me mounting points on the device plate. Also used them on Fibreglass panels.
My 30 year old Magna wagon has rivnuts in the tailgate to hold the screws for the rear number plate. They were put there at the factory.
John - Bolt & Nut have served me well. As for Nutserts - me's preferred Kincrome but that Vevor kit is impressive.
Good story John - these are enormously useful in sheet metal assemblies, especially when disassembly is a potential requirement. Kincrome has a drill attachment which makes the installation process a bit faster, but I'd only use it for smaller thread rivnuts, say below M5. The Vevor tool looks like it'll last a long time, with care, but might be restrictive if space is limited around the installation.
Very interesting. I agree with your comment about Verniers.I@76 transitioned to electronic LCD verniers.After finding two flat batteries (mainly happens on the cheap Chinese units) i went back to the manual version's...
Another trick for deburring, is to carefully use the next size up on the step bit.
Yep , Rivnuts work well . Even in the event they loosen and start to rotate , with a " Bit of Fiddling " you can re-seat them .
Love the DIY segment. Even though I have used rivnuts a couple of times I found this informative and would love to see more DIY videos from the ghetto.
easy reason I could see needing a rivnut for 1/2" material (aluminum specifically)...
it already was threaded, but you buggered the threads completely out of the hole, and you need the exact same thread size and pitch back again.
just drill it out, install the rivnut, and there's no complications in the future with one random fastener being an oddball size compared to the rest.
heck with material that thick, you could even counter bore the surface enough to let the rivnut sit flush with the material, making the repair even more transparent.
At 1/2 thick material i would think you are better at threaded inserts like helicoil than rivnuts. I believe rivnuts are only really for sheet material where its thickness alone is not conducive to adequate thread production
John, little known fact about ‘Merica. We are allowed to make our own firearms for personal use. AK 47 platform weapons are exclusively made with rivets.Instead of using a rivet press, I wonder if I could use these in place of standard rivets. Trial and error is in my future I suppose 😂.
Oooh yeah I bought my first set of rivnuts earlier this year. One job on my 50cc scoot so far. Bloody magic.
Really enjoyed this episode. Learnt something and got entertained. I think I prefer these videos to your car ones 😂
11:08 The other advantage of step drills is the roundness of the hole. Normal twist drills can cut a more triangular shaped hole in thin material.
20:00 Don't forget blind rivnuts sealed at one end.
Wow what a nice piece of kit. I've done very little tool work in the last couple of years so these are new to me. I've never seen them before. I'm certainly keeping them in mind for potential future purchase and use. Thanks for making this excellent video John.
I always lube the bolt very well to make it easier to remove in future. A threaded rod and nut is an option instead of a bolt depending upon the application.
I'd also consider adding Epoxy to help the insert stay in place - it can't do any harm but might just help a little. I've done this on bikes and never had an issue when combined with lubed bolts etc. It also helps with corrosion and makes the job look a bit neater if you're working with circular tubes e.g. for mounting eBike batteries or bottle cages.
Some useful tips re tool suppliers e.g. Vevor
Like many people here, I've gone "nuts" for rivet nuts since finding out about them a few years ago. For anyone using them frequently i can highly recommended purchasing a Rivet Nut Drill Adaptor tool. Kango do a high quality one. Not cheap but makes your "nutting" so much faster and easier 😜
The new light truck at work used rivet inserts that looked like Allan keyed, to hold the rear step on. They started loosening up and falling out. Drilled the rest n installed bolts with locktite.
Rivnuts have been around for decades and one of my own tools is a copy of the one used by Land Rover back in 1980's. The important thing to remember is that they have their limitations and should not be used where structural strength is paramount. Therefore, the obvious range for Rivnuts use in automotive applications is M3 to M8 and occasionally, where absolutely necessary M10. I have never used M12 Rivnuts and I can't see a use for them because if you need a 12mm/0.5inch bolt to secure anything it must be structural and therefore requires something much more robust. I would hope that you wouldn't use a Rivnut in 7/16"UNF to secure a seat belt mount!!!! M3 Rivnuts are very useful for securing panels, where disassembly is required but self tapping screws are too aggressive. Rivnuts are also made for GRP, which is very useful for competition car/kit car etc fabrication.
Oh dear....the Bunnings boys have discovered rivnuts......this will be fun to see the results
Rivnut engine mounts, load-bearing tie-down points, chassis extensions, recovery points...
@@AutoExpertJC Don't encourage them John
@@AutoExpertJCstill better than self tapers or the dodgy weld job😊.
Thank you for the "rivnut tutorial". I agree there are a lot of advantages to using them
Also consider reviewing brass-threaded "Well Nuts" which are a close cousin of the rivnit. I first encountered Well Nuts on Motorcycle and Snowmobile. Well Nuts offer shock-isolation, waterproof-seal, NO TOOL install, as well as dealing with assembly-misalignment.
G'day. It is also good to have a Rivnut tool wirh the head at right angles to the handle as well. It will allow instalation closer into a corner.
Looks like the exact solution I need to hang many items in my RV with 1/8” walls. Kits start at $50 US on Amazon in the USA.
Worked all day yesterday and most of the night. And 7 hours this morning, ahhh the tow life. I'm going to use this to fall asleep to. Fyi, have a nutsert in my 80 series.
' 'Like a carpenter did it'. That gave me a laugh and food for thought, Craftsmen enjoy banter.
Fab video, just what I needed , great info, I'm using these for the first time & now am confident I can do it without swearing , smashing crap up or bleeding ...haha thanks mate, a big hello from cold damp great Britain
I have been using these for nearly 10 years in my home getto workshop, back in the day I stumbled across an second hand Eclipse one like a pop river gun only went to 8mm.
Generally, I prefer the "Plusnut" which gives a greater friction area to stop the bolt that will be inserted from slipping when tightening it !
Rivnuts, over my side of the hill, where I pray to my god. I'd never heard about these until I took a job where these were used occasionally. They are a particularly handy fastening system when it comes to fastening certain things to sheet metal. It's almost impossible to make a dog's breakfast of installing them. Unlike self tappers and Tek screws, they want to go in square and true.
And you can't pull these things out with a team of draught horses, either. And they are far easier to use with spacers mixed into the equation. I wish that I'd known about them sooner.
There is a type that can be used with your manual or air driven rivet guns. They are only in the 3-4mm thread range, and are fine for low stress areas. They do display the "crumpled head" on the other side, and it's not pretty. Only a few mm of thread available. Generally, bolts need thread right up to the hex head.
One thing which really should be kept in mind is to get bigger rivnut pliers than you think you might need, the ones which look like pop-rivet pliers (one-hand operation) require the grip-strength of Heracles to squeeze anything bigger than a 5mm rivnut.
Thanks John. We have just purchased a half finnished AC Cobra kit car. This will be an very handy tool
No worries. Glad it helped.
Bolt & Nut Australia, bloody great company, the more you buy the cheaper the item gets, super efficient business. No I’m not employed by them.
I love this video! I have pondering getting one of these tools for a long while and this demystifies the process. Thank you.
The bottle cage holes on my cross country bike are M5 nutserts and rotate.
I should pull them up a bit.
Plus, my Mitutoyo digital calipers are 34 years old. Good investment.
Starrett cutters are your friend for big holes.
If you’ve got composite structures carbon or fibreglass then bighead fasteners are a great option as they can be bonded in place and provide a large flange to reinforce these materials
Just bought 2, one for myself and one for my roommate. Thanks, _dude_ !
On my understanding Rivetnuts and Nutserts are two completely different products for different applications.
I am involved in the automotive, security, fabrication, electrical, electronics and communications industries, as well as being an avid diy enthusiast.
Riv-Nuts (A rivetnut brand.) are as described extremely well in the video, along with the engineering caveats.
However, Nutserts are round metal threaded nuts with a "toothed" external circumference usually designed to be inserted into a blind hole in thicker materials by a pressing force, or a pressing force combined with heat in the case of thermoplastic materials.
They are used extensively for small diameter screw threads in plastics - toys, laptop computers, automotive and other accessory items. Larger theaded Nutserts, often used in furniture assembly, may have a flange on one end to resist "pull-through" or "nut spinning".
Love the commonsense engineering that goes along with your videos!
Lol when you said about the tel screws, I’ve done that.
I’m still laughing 😂
I’m a roofer so I have plenty lying around.
he he he
Just some advice if use the drill type rivnut inverters, like the Kango, it’s an excellent tool, but never use the drilling chuck setting, always use the screwing setting and set the torque low. Easy enough to increase the torque if necessary, I mostly use the Al rivnuts on Al boat stuff, it’s easy to overtorque the nut and distort or tear the substrate.
I would have been better off with a manual tool like the Vevor..
John, here in 'Murica we tend to reduce our fractions. You'll never be able to buy an 8/32 nut, screw, bolt, wrench, etc.. We'll go shopping for 1/4 inch, natch.
Ironically, the first time I learned about rivnuts was last year. My Mother-In-Law broke a seized bolt when replacing her rear license plate on her 2010's Honda Odyssey. The rivnut held.
Bought a nutsert kit 6 years ago havn,t used it yet but nice to know it,s there
Love a rivnut/nutcert! The only issue is the tool, they're usually quite bulky and hard to fit in tight spaces. Bought a tool years ago from MEMFast- rather than being like an adapted rivet gun, it has a twisty knob end!
Use rivnuts daily, usually with a pneumatic gun. M3 up to M13. All in vehicle build applications. Love them, self tappers not permitted!
@@drivingparadox. Yeah I used a pneumatic rivnut tool at work for a few years.
The big trap with these, unfortunately, is if you stuff it up it can take quite a while to remove the tool from the rivnut! Especially dangerous to the tool & the work with smaller bolt sizes. The tool is quite heavy & you need to keep the rivnut tool 'bolt' perpendicular to the work surface or you'll bend or snap it! Far canal it can be infuriating! Although it may have been our particular tool which had a graduated 'trigger', to activate auto-reversal, to automatically reverse the 'bolt' out of the work.
We always used stainless steel rivnuts too, & ALWAYS used that silver-coloured antiseize paste on the bolt. Stainless can kinda 'weld' itself together if you're not careful, or use no lube.
The worst part was trying to teach others how to use this auto, pneumatic tool! THAT was a nightmare! They just didn't get it! It took ages for them to latch on to what I was telling them! I almost gave up!
Oh great! I was worried for a second that these wouldn't be suitable for my newly purchased plain white death machine van where I perform all of my 'handywork'. Thanks for settong me straight on that one John. Ive jist tocked your name off my list. You lucky scoundrel.
Always learning with John, thank you John as I haven't seen this before.😊.
Thanks for the video John.
These nuts are popular amongst the self build cross-kart and to extent go-kart community for fitting panels to exterior body work, non critical load bearing component mounting points, where welding is not an option of not preferable.
They also work well as geto Chicago screws also you can get the same idea as studs